On Wednesday, October 8th the ITN opened the CATNIP study, “Anti-TSLP plus antigen-specific immunotherapy for induction of tolerance in individuals with cat allergy,” at the first site, the University of Wisconsin. CATNIP will test whether a novel therapeutic approach, cat immunotherapy combined with an investigational new drug called MEDI9929/AMG 157 (an anti-TSLP antibody being co-developed by Amgen and Medimmune) can lead to lasting tolerance to cat allergen.
This study will implement the concept referred to as “allergen-plus,” which aims to enhance the disease-modifying mechanisms of allergen-specific immunotherapy by combining it with other anti-inflammatory or immune-modulating agents. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a cytokine which appears to be instrumental in both initiating and maintaining allergic sensitivity to antigens, and ITN investigators hypothesize that blocking TSLP during the administration of cat immunotherapy will induce durable immune changes that lead to tolerance.
CATNIP will be conducted at eight sites in the US and enroll 120 cat‐allergic adults who will be randomized to four possible treatment groups: immunotherapy plus MEDI9929/AMG 157, immunotherapy plus placebo, placebo plus MEDI9929/AMG 157, or two corresponding placebos. This study is specifically enrolling cat allergic individuals who do not live with cats in order to limit exposure to the allergen outside of the study. Treatment will be given for about one year, followed by one year off therapy. The objective of the study is to determine whether one year of immunotherapy combined with MEDI9929/AMG 157 can induce tolerance to cat allergen.
Please visit the study website to learn more about the CATNIP clinical trial for the treatment of cat allergy.
For more information about the ITN’s approach to clinical tolerance in allergy, see the Strategic Plan.